Blank-feeding mechanism.



W. CAMERON.

BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM.

W. CAMERON.

BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM.

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WILLIAM CAMERON, OF CHIGAGO, ILLINOIS.

BLANK-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

Application illed March 8, 1917. Serial No. 152,535.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CAMERON, a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Ilhnois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blank-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates in general to blank-eeding mechanisms, but the embodiment thereof disclosed in the present case is more particularly adapted for separating and feeding sheet metal blanks from a stack to a `machine which operates upon the blank, such, for instance, as machine for forming tin can bodies from flat sheet metal blanks.

I am aware that prior to my invention it has been proposed to separate the lowermost blank of a stack in a magazine by means of one or more suction cups which were elevated into engagement with the lower face of the loWermost blank and subsequently depressed or moved downwardly, the suction between the cup and lthe blank with which it was engaged bein relied upon to draw the blank downwar ly into position to be engaged and carried or fed from the magazine by reciprocatory feeding devices. Various objections, however, have larisen to the use of these vacuum or suction blank separating devices; among which may be mentioned the fact that these devices do not always make an air tight contact with the blank, particularly when the suction cups have become somewhat worn, with the vresult that the blank is not removed from the magazine, and the machine to which the blanks are suppe.c d to be fed in succession, receives no supply and runs idle. Again, it frequently happens that the two lowermost blanks in the magazine will4 cling together as the result of burs on their edges or cohesion between their surfaces, and the suction cups will draw down two blanks instead of one, asy

desired, and these two blanks are fed into the machine together, sometimes with disastrous results. Furthermore, the use of vacuum cup necessitates that each machine shallflie equipped with a vacuumcreating devioeconnected with the suction cups, which device is noty only expensive` to manufacture and install but also requires the expenditure of considerable power to the magazine to the machine designed to operate upon them.

More specifically my invention contemplates mechanism for separating the lowermost blank in a magazine from the remainder by exerting a pressure longitudinally upon the blank so as to buckle or bend the blank downwardly intermediate its ends into position to be engaged and carried away b blank-feeding devlces.

Anot 1er object of my invention is to provide? novel mechanism for exerting this longitudinal pressure upon the lowermost blank in the magazine and to so construct this mechanism that itl will be capable of adjustment to various types and thicknesses of blanks to be operated upon, and to provide for throwing out or shutting off the operation of the blank-separatin 4mechanism when desired without stopping the whole machine.

Another object of my invention isto provide means structurally independent of the mechanism which enel-ts` longitudinal pressure upon the blank to be separated, which will facilitate the separation of the lowermost blank in the stack from the remainder and will prevent the return of the separated blank to its original position if for any reason the timing of the various mechanisms should become defective.

Still another object' of my invention is to provide novel eedin mechanism for conveying the separated lanks away from the magazine, to so construct the same that the feed fingers may be adjusted to suit the requirements of different sizes or t ypes of blanks, and alsoV to provide devices which will prevent return movement of the blank with the reciprocatory feedin devices in case the blank should not be a vanced into the machine as it should he. f

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure l is an elevation looking at the yfront end of a blankfee ling mechanism embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, looking toward the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View similar to Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away to show the position of the operating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a novel feeding finger;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6--6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing an additic al feature for insuring separation of the iowermost blank;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the bottom of the magazine at one side, the side wall being shown insection; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary View on the line 9;-9 of Fig. 8. v

From an inspection of the drawings it will be observed that my improved mechanism is mounted upon one end of a machine, a. portion of the frame construction of which is designated by reference character 11. While the machine may be of any type adapted to operate upon sheet metal blanks I have illustrated a portion of a can bodyforming machine, the frame of which is formed to provide a pair of tracks or slideways 12 upon which the blanks are fed to the body-forming mechanism (not shown). The blanks are fed from the magazine, desi ated generally by reference character 13, a ong these tracks or slideways by means of a pair of reciprocatory feed bars 11 equipped with a plurality of feed dogs 15 pivoted upon laterally projecting studs 16 and normally held with their feed ends 17 proyecting above the tracks by means of light expansion springs 1S, all as shown inFig. 6. The blanks 19 are fed along intermittently by these feed dogs and are held against return movementby clamping bars or plates 21. which are urged downwardly to yieldingly clamp the blanks between the bars 21 and the guideways 12 by means of springs 22 surrounding the pins "23 which project from the bars 21 upwardly loosely through openings formed in a guide frame 2l.

The magazine 13 which is adapted to contain a stack of blanks to be fed to the machine is mounted upon the longitudinally extending members 25 and 26 of the machine frame 11. The magazine consists of a pair of side pieces 28 and 29 respectively, be-

tween which the blanks 19 are longitudinally disposed one upon another. The side piece 29 1s provided at the rear with a vertically exten ing stri 31 which maintains one end of the stack 1n vertical alinement and is also provded with a pair of outwardly'extendinglears 32 each equipped with an elongated ole 33, throu h which a bolt 34 passes and is threade into the member 26 to adjustably secure the side member 29 in position. A bottom member 35, preferably cast integrally with the side member 29, extends inwardly a limited distance from the side member to form a portion of the bottom of the magazine. The opposite side member 28 is likewise provided with a vertical strip or bar 36 and has laterally extending ears 37 through which bolts 38 extend to secure the side member in position. The bottom member 39, however, which projects inwardly from the side member 28 is preferably formed independently of the side member and is provided with an elongated slot 41 through which the bolts 38 pass so that this bottom member may be adjusted transversely of the magazine relatively to the side member 2S to accommodate the magazine to blanks of various lengths and thicknesses. The upper ends of the side members 28 and 29 are securely but adjustably connected together adjacent their rear edges by a cross bar 42 which is attached to the side members by bolts 43. This cross bar is provided with a downward extension 44 disposed in close proximity to the rear face of the stack of blanks in the magazine and carries devices which facilitate the separa tion of the lowermost blank, which devices `will be later described. It should be noted,

however, at this point that the bar 42 is capable of adjustment forwardly and rearwardly of the magazine so as to dispose the downward extension 44 close to the rear face of the stack of blanks irrespective of the width of the blanks disposed in the magazme.

lt will be manifest from the foregoin that I have provided what might be termed a magazine having an open bottom. that is, the bottom members extend inwardly only a limited distance from the side members 2S and 29 so as to suppport the stack of blanks adjacent its ends, the central portion of tho magazine being open at the bottom to permit downward bending or buckling of the lowermost blank so that it may be engaged and fed from the magazine.

For the purpose of separating the lowermost blank in the magazine. from the remaining blanks l have provided mechanism for bending or buckling the lower blank, which will now be described: In webs 45 and 46 extending laterally outward from the member 26 l have mounted a shaft 4T which is xedly held in its bearing in these webs by ins 48. Upon the shaft intermediate its endls thereof is rotatably mounted a bearing sleeve 49 having an eccentric periphery, as best shown in Figsr and 5, one end of the sleeve being expanded to provide an annular flange or head 51 adapted to be engaged by a Spanner Wrench, and the other end being threaded to receive a nut 52, also adapt- 'ed to be engaged by a Spanner wrench. The sleeve is' held against longitudinal movement on the shaft 47 by'a pair of lpins 53, or other suitable means carried by the shaft. Upon the sleeve 49 there is loosely fitted a lmember 54 which resembles in general out line a bell crank lever comprising a substantially vertical arm and a substantially horizontal arm. The upper end of the vertical arm extends into the magazine through a slot or opening 55 formed in the sidemember 29 of the magazine and its upper face lies substantially fluh and preferably slightly above the upper ace of the bottom member 35, so-that the lowermost 'blank in.

- the stack will rest upon and be partially supported by this face. 'The upper inner corner`of the vertical arm is also preferably Y rounded o' slightly, as indicated at 56, on'

aiifare coneentricwith the shaft-147, so that as the member 54 is oscillated. upon the 3o shaft the surface in contact with the' lower# niost blank will remain in a substantially horizontal plane, consequently the stack will not be moved vertically by oscillatory movements of the member. TheV upper arm of the member 54 is alsoV provided with a longitudinal slot disposed at an angle to the verl tical and adapted to receive a bar or finger f 57 which is slid longitudinally into the slot from the up er lend thereof and is sup- 4d ported `at its fewer end upon the headof an adjustable setscrew 58 threaded into a split socket 59 formed in the horizontal arm of the member 54.' The upper end of the linger 57 projects above the upper face of the '4.5 member 54 la limited distance which is substantif'ally equal to the thickness of the blank in the ma ine. Consequentl ras the meinber 54 is oscillated back and orth from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in S0 Fig. 3 this projecting portion of the finger will enga e with the end of the lower-most blankin the magazine and exert a lon tudinal pressure upon the blank, whic `will move its enga ed end inwardly with respect 55 to the other la'nks and cause the blank'to buckle or bend downwardly intermediate its ends as shown in Fi 3, longitudinal movement of the blank being limited by abutment of its opposite end against the opposite side member 28 of the magazine. It will thus he manifest that at each actuation `of the ineinber 54 the lowermost blank in the magazine will be separated and .bent downwardly into position to be engaged and carried rearwardly from the magazine by feed lingers threaded into the inem 61 carried by the reciprocating slide-bars ist. These slide bars are reciprocated longitudinally by mechanism (not shown), the construction and operation of which is Well known in the art, and by reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 6, it will be observed that these feed fingers 61 are carried by blocksf fixedly 'attached to and projecting inwardly from lengths and various thicknesses with which the lmagazine may be loaded, and when properly positioned they will overlie the downwardly bent blank a..- the slide bars are moved toward the ri ht, viewing Fi'g. 6. The downwardly bent bmk4 will be carried by these fingers to the right outwardly from the magazine onto the sl1des12 beneath the yielding plates 17 into the position of the blank 19, shown in section in Fig. 6., 'Upon return movement of the slide-bars they will pass freely beneath the blanks in the magazine and the mechanism is so timed that the next blank will be bent downwardlyl into the path of the fingers while the fingers are to the left of the magazine, as shown in 6, so thatuponthe next movement of the slidebars to the right the next blank in: the magazine will be fed toward the operat ing mechanism in the same'manner. During the removal of the second blank from the magazine the previously removedblank will be fed onwardly by the feed dogs 15, which snap upwardly behind the blank '105 when the slide-bars reach their extreme out ward position as shown in Fig. 6. For the purpose of preventing accidental return ofa removed blank with return movement of the slide-bars, the bottom members 35 and 39 of the magasine are provided with downwardly projecting studs 65 against whichl a return blank would abut, so that return miement of tlie blank woildlxae prevented,

s previous y exp aine t e projecting 115 finger 57 may be adjusted longitudinally to project more or less above the upper 'face of the member 54 by means of the adjusting screw 58, and when the proper adjustment has been secured this screw is locked by' means of a setscrew 66 threaded into, the horizon tal arm of the member 54 and engaging the side wall 67 of the split socket 59 so as to press this wall tightly inst the screw 58 and prevent accidente rotation thereof. The finger 57 4is further locked inadjusted postionby a air of Setscrews 68 r 54 into engagement with the finger 57.

, In orderto provide for bodilyadjustment i incasso eted or otherwise fastened together, the lower piece being extended inwardly beyond" the vertical face of the' inner` end ol the block proper so as to be disposed, within the maga.- 5 zine, as 4indicated by .reference character 97. These inward extensions form bearing surfaces upon which the stack of blanks rests adjacent its end so that these two surfaces 97 together with the upper end of the 3.0 oscillatory member 54: form a three-point bearin or support for the stack of blanks. Just a, ve the upper face of the extensions 97 each blank is provided with a transverse slot or groove 98 substantially equal in ver tical depth to the thickness of a blank. It will be obvious that these slots are disposed in alinement with the end of the lowex-most blank in the magazine, and that the rela.- tively thin supporting extensions 97 insure this alinemen irrespective of war ing or other irregulafrities 1n the blank, since the major portion of the weight of this end oi' the stack is carried by these extensions. `W'ith this construction when the oscil- 'laltory member 54 is moved in a counterclockwise direction on its shaft, viewing Fig. 7, the finger 57 when rst brought into engagement With'the end of the lowermost blank will slide this blank longitudinally l. tcwvard the left, viewing this figure, thereby :causing its opposite end to enter the grooves 98 until such movement is limited by abutment a ainst. the undercut portion of the sidev wa 28. Since the grooves 98 are only wide enough to receive one blank it will be -f'- evident that this longitudinal movement of 5 the lowermost blank, while the next superposed'blank is held against such movement, will overcome any tendency of the lowermost blank to cling to the next blank either by eason of cohesion or b cause of .inten lookin fburs on the edges of the blanks, with e result that when the longitudinal movement of the lowermost blank is stopped b .the side plate 28 furth r vmovement of e nger 27 will causeth' blank to buckle or bend-downwardly into the`p'osition shown in' F' 7 so that' it will be picked up and away by the. feed lingers 6].. t will be manifest, therefore, that' these slots permit a limited longitudinal movement of the lowermost blank with respect to the remainblanks,. which movement eifectually overcomes the tendency of the lower-most 66 blank to cling to the next superposed bla-nk and thus insure a perfect separation of the lowermost blank at each -actuation of the oscillatory member 54.

' It is believedthat the construction and o tion of one embodiment of my inven-` tion will be fullv understood from the forein without ,urtlier description, and it shou d be obvious that the details of con struction illustratedl and described are capable of considerable modii'ication and vari- 65 ation \\itl'1o':.xt departure from the essence of the invention defined in the following claims:

l. in a blank feeding mechanism, the corn- 70 hination of a magazine adapted to support n, of blanks, a nim-'able member: provided with a non-penetrating blank-engag-` ing projection mounted at one end of the magazine, a stationary abutment at the oppositsA cmi of' the magazine, means for moving said projection toward said abutn'lent in the plano of and against the end of an interposed blank to thereby buckle said blank intermediate its ends by longitudinal compression of the blank and means .l'or enga ing with the buckled portion of said blani `whereby the blank is removed from the magazine.

El. In a blank feeding mechanism, the combination of a magazine adapted to support a stack of blanks, a movable member provided With a blank-engaging 'projection adapted to engage an edge only of a .blank mounted at one end of the magazine, a stationary abutment at the opposite end of the magazine, means for moving said rojecf tion toward said abutment in the Eme of an interposed blank and against lille edge thereof to thereby buckle said blank intermediate its ends b pressure applied against the ends only, an means whereb the ell'ective stroke of said projection in the plane of the blank may be regulated.

3. In a blank feeding mechanism, the combination of a magazine adapted to support a stack of blanks, a movable member provided with a blank-envaging projection mounted at one end of t e magazine. a stationary abutment at the opposite en azine, means for movinor said projection toward said abutment n'tlhe plane of an intere posed blank to engage an edge of the blank and thereby buckle said blank intermediate its ends, means for adjustin the length of 110 said projection to accommodate the'lnech-` anism to blanks of various thicknesses and means for engaging the buckled portion of the blank to remove the same from the magazine. A

4. In a' blank feeding, mechanism, combination of a magazine having an open bottom and a stationary abutment at one side, thereof, a member mounted to oscllate iis transversely of the magazine adjacent tlie7120A bottom thereof and in position to partially support astack of blanks in the magazine, means projecting vfrom said member 1n position to e age an end edge only of the lowermost b ank inthe stack and forfour: 125 ing said blank a ainst said stationa abutment to thereby gend a portion of sag blank l away the remaining blanks in the of the magmagazine, and means for removing said blank from the magazine by engagement with said bent portion.

5. In a blank-feedin g mechanism, the combination of a magazine, an oscillatory blankseparating member mounted in coperative relation to said magazine, a cam, an element provided with a cam follower, a connection between said element and said oscillatory member, and manually operable lmeans for withdrawing said follower from Abina'tion -of a magazine provided with bottoml members' extending inwardly a. limited distance from the sides .of said magazine, means for bonding a blank in said magazine downwardly between said bottom members, means for feeding said downwardly bent blank away romthe magazine, and

means projecting downwardly from said ment of said blank with said feeding means.

bottom members to prevent return move- .8. In a blank-feeding mechanism, the combination of a magazine comprising` side members and bottom members extending inwardly a limited ldistance from said side members, means for bending downwardly a portion of.a blank in said magazine intermediate said bottom members, reciprocatory feed bars adapted to .feed'said downwardly bent blank away'rfrom the'mgazne, and abutments projecting downwa yfrom said bottom 'members to revent return move- Y, ment of said blank with said feed bars'.

9. In a blank-feeding mechanism, the combination of a, magazine com rising side members and bottom members extending inwardly .a limited distancel from said ,sideV members, means movable transversely of the magazine adjacent the bottom thereofor irst moving the lowerrnost blank in said Y magazinetransversely of the magazine and subsequently bending said'blank intermedi- ,side of the ma .6b

only whereby a separation of said blank is i ate its ends, and a groove at' the opposite zine from said` member adapted to receive the end `of oney Ablank facilitated.

1o. In a blank -feeding mechanism, the combination of a magazine comprising side tain al stack of bla nii-Lasso jacent the bottom of one of said side members adapted toV receive one blank only ot a stack in said magazine, and means at the opposite side of said magazine for moving the lowermost blank of the stack transversely of the m zinevinto said lcove and subse uently ending said blank by continued ongitudinal pressure upon said, blank. A

11. In a blank-feeding mechanism, the combination of a magazine comprising side walls and bottom members, one of said side walls being undercut along the inner bottom edge thereof, a pair of members adjustabl mounted adjacent to said undercut side w l extending into the magazine so as to provide a two-point sup ort for one end cfa stack of blanks in t e magazine and provided with transverse ooves adapted to receive' one of said blanls only,` and means at the Aother end of the magazine Vpositioned to.

form a one-point support for the stackmf blanks and adapted to move the lowermost blank longitudinally 'into said grooves at the opposite end ofthe magazine.

12. .-In a' A,blank-feeding mechanism, the combination of a magazine adapted to contain a stack of blanks, a. plurality of members mounted on one end of the magazine, each member comprising a portion projecting into the magazine at the bottom thereof and povided with a transverse slot directly a ve said projecting portion, said slots beingadapted to receive the end of one -blank only at a time, and means at the opposite end'of the magazine for moving the .lowermos blank longitudinally into .said

slots and exerting a continuous longitudinalpressure upon said blank to bend the same downwardly intermediatel its ends.

13. In a blank-feeding mechanism, tho combination of-a magazine adapted to contain a stack ofA blanks, one wall of said magazine be' undercut ad'acent its lower ends, a pair o members adjustably mounted so as to project through 'said wall into the magazine, each ofzsald members being? provided with a blank supporting portion@ and a blank separating slot, and, means fori1 moving a blank longitudinally into said; slots and subsequently Abending said blank@ intermediate its ends.

14. In a blank feeding mechanism,` the combination of a m azine adapted to cons, means located beneath a' stack of blanks in the magazine comprising two stationary and one movable member for forming a three-point support upon which said"stack rests, and mechamsm for moving said movable member t0- ward the stationary members so as to comi press a blank between Ithe stationary and movable members andv thereby buckle said blank intermediate its ends.'

15. In a blank feeding mechanism,- the immuno '7 combination of a magazine adapted t'o oonpoint support upon which a stack in said tain a stack of blanks, a, pair of stationary magazine rests, and mechanism for recipromembers mounted at the bottom of the eating said movable member toward and 10 magazine and at one end thereof, a movfrom said stationary members to longitudiable member located at the bottom of the nelly compress the interposed,A blank So as magazine and at the opposite end thereof, to buckle the same intermediate its ends.

said members together forming e three- WILLIAM CAMERON. 

